Artist of the Week

Photo Credit: Johan Persson

Artist: Abigail BulfinArtform: Dancer and Choreographer

What is your main focus?I am a classical ballet dancer, freelance choreographer and dance teacher. My main focus is ballet and this is where I draw most of my inspiration from. My career has now branched out into other styles of dance but I always come back to my roots as ballet provides such a strong foundation.​Where have you studied?I trained at the Central School of Ballet, gaining a BA (Hons) degree in Dance and Performance. I then went on to study with Vanessa Palmer (former dancer with The Royal Ballet) for a year before embarking on my professional career.

Why do you dance?I dance and choreograph as a means of communication; I love that you can tell a story just through the power of movement. I have learnt that there can be no right or wrong when it comes to dance. If you have something to say, it’s a wonderfully creative and expressive way to make your voice heard.

Who are you influenced by?I would say that I am heavily influenced by music. If I am choreographing a new piece I will always start with the music and allow myself to be guided by what I hear. I am also hugely influenced by the dancers around me – as a dancer I can learn so much from them and as a choreographer it is inspiring to see how they interpret things differently. One tiny little movement can be the catalyst for a whole string of ideas.

What is the most exciting thing you’ve done to date?I have been fortunate enough to have had many exciting opportunities over the years but one that sticks out was performing with Basement Jaxx as part of Peace One Day at KOKO London. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before - I was surrounded by so many incredible artists and the atmosphere was electric!

Photo Credit: Claude Schneider

What is more important, talent or hard work?Definitely hard work! Lots of people have talent but you need dedication and the drive to succeed. I have learnt firsthand that there will always be knock backs – that’s just a natural part of my career choice! The most important thing is to pick yourself up again and focus on the next opportunity that comes your way.

Tell us a bit about 'For a Lost Son'.This was a beautiful solo created for me by the wonderful choreographer Fran Mangiacasale. It’s an emotional piece called ‘For a Lost Son’ and it’s about a mother’s pain when she loses her son to war. I always get the most satisfaction out of a performance when there is a story to tell and I was able to connect so easily to this choreography. Although I don’t have any experience of this particular kind of loss personally, I tried to imagine how it would feel to have one of my brothers taken from me in this way. I remember so vividly coming off stage after premiering this piece and just bursting into tears! It’s a performance that will stay with me forever.

What advice would you give to anyone wanted to become a dancer?Always have an open mind. When I was younger I had a very firm path that I was following and I was almost a bit scared to deviate from it. As I got older I realised there are so many more avenues to explore and taking a leap of faith can sometimes lead to things you may never have even thought of. You’ll be surprised at the opportunities out there!

What are your future ambitions?This industry can be so uncertain so I hope that I can continue to make a career out of doing what I love for as long as I can!

Do you have a favourite genre?As my knowledge has expanded over the last few years my eyes have been opened to many different genres but I know I will always come back to ballet! This is where it all began for me and although a huge part of my choreographic work is now more musical theatre based I will always draw inspiration from the purity of ballet and its foundation will always be evident in my work.

Anything interesting coming up soon?​I have been busy choreographing a production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert for Encore Theatre UK over the last few months! We open this week and I am so excited to see all the everyone’s hard work come to life on the stage! I’m also looking forward to future collaborations with C31!